(2020-07-25). [Correspondence] Australia's First Nations' response to the COVID-19 pandemic. thelancet.com Kaitlin Curtice and Esther Choo1 described the well known risks for infectious diseases among First Nations internationally and the serious concerns that COVID-19 poses for them. These risks include their levels of chronic disease, poverty, poor living conditions, and racism in mainstream services with resulting lack of trust using them. They also highlighted the problem of data not being available specifically for First Nations so that authorities are blind to the situation and hence how best to help them.
(2020-07-25). [Correspondence] Dismantling racism in research. thelancet.com The widespread dissemination of how George Floyd was murdered prompted people around the world to demand structural reform. We agree with the points raised in the Editorial about the need to "find ways to use science as an instrument for social change".1 Here we highlight approaches for dismantling racism within research.
(2020-07-25). [Perspectives] Kesaveloo Goonaruthnum Naidoo: anti-apartheid campaigner. thelancet.com Few have done as much to forge an individual identity as "Dr Goonam", the name Kesaveloo Goonaruthnum Naidoo (1906—98) adopted as the first woman of colour to practise medicine in South Africa during the 1930s. She demanded women's inclusion in political organisations representing her Indian community, and joined others in passionate opposition to the apartheid policies that oppressed them.
(2020-07-25). [Correspondence] Women's reproductive rights. thelancet.com I hope it is stating the obvious to suggest that it is despicable both to ban abortion and to impose it on women whether in the name of religion, in the service of a political ideology, or as a perceived demographic imperative.1 Forced birth and forced abortion are foul. They are an assault on the autonomy, dignity, and rights of women, and are a threat to their lives, health, and wellbeing. Examples of banning and forcing abortions are found throughout the world and across time (sometimes in the same place and at the same time, as seen in Nazi Germany).
(2020-07-24). Unfit to Lead and Unqualified to Serve: Why William Perry Pendley Cannot be the Head of the Bureau of Land Management. counterpunch.org 
Amid the COVID-19 crisis and the uprisings against police brutality and systemic racism, it is understandable if many Americans overlooked the Trump administration's continued attacks on the management of public lands and the Constitution's mandates about how our leaders are appointed. The most recent attack of this type came with President Trump's June 30, 2020,
(2020-07-24). Portland's movement is fighting back! Defend Portland, Ore.! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org 
Workers World Party Statement Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents — secret police — to Portland, Ore., Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial . . . |
(2020-07-24). From Portland to the World. mronline.org 
Since the end of May, demonstrators opposing police violence and white supremacy have thronged the streets of Portland, Oregon, clashing with law enforcement officers. Last week, aspiring autocrat Donald Trump escalated the situation by announcing that he would be sending federal agents around the country to assert his authority through acts of violence against protesters.
(2020-07-24). Appeasing the crowds? Chicago pulls down embattled Columbus statue days after mayor agrees to let feds in. rt.com 
Shortly after Mayor Lori Lightfoot conceded to allow the federal government to deploy their agents to Chicago, the city has removed the bronze Columbus statue which has been vandalized amid massive Black Lives Matter rallies. | The removal operation started at Chicago's Grant Park in the middle of the night on Friday. Workers used two heavy-duty cranes to attach metal ropes to the Christopher Columbus monument, which was wrapped tight in white tarpaulin. | The statue of the Italian explorer, erected in the 1930s with funding and blessing from Chicago's Italian-American community, was then brought down in front…
(2020-07-24). Texas congressman proposes to cancel DEMOCRATS over support of slavery and Confederacy (VIDEO). rt.com 
If Congress is purging all things related to slavery and the Confederacy in the name of battling bigotry, the Democratic Party should be among them, says a resolution proposed in all seriousness by Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas). | Gohmert's
(2020-07-24). WATCH Portland protesters battling federal police to sound of Star Wars' Imperial March. rt.com 
Chaotic scenes outside Portland's federal courthouse were given a snarky soundtrack by a demonstrator who showed up to the fracas armed with a stereo. The city has seen nightly clashes between police and protesters. | Footage taken by New York Times correspondent Mike Baker shows activists and federal agents fighting over control of a fence guarding the building in downtown Portland, which has been under siege by demonstrators for nearly two months. | Protesters used projectiles and laser pointers against federal law enforcement tasked with protecting the courthouse, who in turn deployed tear gas to keep the m…
(2020-07-24). Oregon judge bans feds from arresting or using force against 'journalists & legal observers' at Portland protests. rt.com 
A judge has issued a temporary restraining order on federal agents deployed in Portland, ruling that they may not arrest, disperse or otherwise use force against reporters and legal observers covering ongoing protests there. | US District Court Judge Michael Simon
(2020-07-24). Police in Israel use water cannon on anti-Netanyahu protesters. thecanary.co 
Israeli police have used water cannons on protesters in central Jerusalem. It happened as clashes broke out overnight after thousands staged a demonstration against the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.Israelis have held a series of demonstrations in recent weeks calling on Netanyahu to resign. Protesters are citing his trial on corruption charges and his fractious unity government's poor handling of the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic as reasons.Protests: The protest near the prime minister's residence began around sundown on Thursday 23 July. It was initially largely peaceful, but police said at least 5…
(2020-07-24). Why Palestinian-Israeli Prisoners Exchange Deal Could Happen Soon? counterpunch.org For the first time since the Israeli war on Gaza in 2014, the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is signaling its willingness to engage in negotiations regarding the release of the bodies of two Israeli soldiers believed to be held by resistance groups in Gaza. But will another prisoner exchange similar to that
(2020-07-24). "There'll Be Some Changes Made": Current and Future American Policing. counterpunch.org Introduction Let's establish some First Principles. 1) The slogan "Black Lives Matter" arose after repeated, unpunished killings of unarmed Black people by police. If the standards are "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," life comes first. Without life, a person cannot achieve liberty or pursue happiness. As a pure expression, "Black Lives Matter" is
(2020-07-24). Israel's Jewish National Fund is Uprooting Palestinians — Not Planting Trees. counterpunch.org Nazareth. The Jewish National Fund, established more than 100 years ago, is perhaps the most venerable of the international Zionist organisations. Its recent honorary patrons have included prime ministers, and it advises UN forums on forestry and conservation issues. It is also recognised as a charity in dozens of western states. Generations of Jewish families,
(2020-07-24). PCHR: Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (16— 22 July 2020). imemc.org Summary Israeli military forces continued to commit crimes and multi-faceted violations against Palestinian civilians and their properties, including raids into Palestinian cities that are characterized with excessive use of force, assault, abuse and attacks on civilians. This week, the Israeli army's excessive use of force rendered 5 injuries among Palestinian …
(2020-07-24). Uprising: Mass Protests Rock the Nation. counterpunch.org In an act of political desperation, President Donald Trump ordered a contingent of federal law-enforcement officers to impose order in Portland, OR. Under the direction of Attorney General Bill Barr, agents from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bureau of Prisons were deployed to protect
(2020-07-24). Trump orders federal police to more cities. wsws.org The Trump administration is stepping up its unconstitutional moves toward dictatorial rule, tear gassing the mayor of Portland, Oregon and announcing the deployment of federal police to additional cities.
(2020-07-24). 2020 Vision Will Show You What is True, if You Can Keep Your Sanity. counterpunch.org We've all been making jokes about how terrible 2020 has played out, but I think even those of us with a bit of an imagination for the absurd and ominous missed the mark as far as this ultimate level of governmental degeneracy we've been able to achieve. Dads backing up moms in Portland with leaf
(2020-07-24). Campaigners raise over £129k for Jeremy Corbyn 'legal fund' amid anti-Semitism row. thecanary.co Campaigners have contributed more than £129,000 to a "legal fund" for Jeremy Corbyn as he faces being sued by Panorama presenter John Ware. | The GoFundMe Ware, who made the programme, is said to be taking legal action after Corbyn's claim that the Labour…
(2020-07-24). Sunday 8/2: Sit. Walk. Listen. Because Black Lives Matter. indybay.org "The Pergola at Lake Merritt" (599 El Embarcadero) | Oakland, California…
(2020-07-23). Shedding a Foreign Policy Based on Imperialism. dissidentvoice.org Read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, and Part V. Is the U.S. ripe for a real revolution, where the disenfranchised and repressed overthrow the enfranchised and privileged? Unfortunately, there are many weapons in the hands of the existing U.S. power structure. These include racism, control of the media, chauvinism, greed and more. …
(2020-07-23). Guns? Yes. Masks? No. And Gestapo in Portland. zcomm.org The toxic mix of valuing gun ownership over protecting public health, conspiracism, and reactionary movements glued together by white supremacy and national chauvinism are too deeply rooted to be ended any time soon…
(2020-07-23). Why Environmental Racism Must End. progressive.org Since Donald Trump came to office, his administration has rolled back 100 environmental safeguards, devastated public lands, and made the world less safe for all of us.
(2020-07-23). Beyond John Muir's Racism: The Sierra Club and the Changing Face of Environmentalism. counterpunch.org 
It's about 100 years too late, but the Sierra Club is finally grappling with its founder's racist past. John Muir, lauded by many as the grandfather of the modern conservation movement, saw the west as a bastion of wide-open freedom. Not for Indigenous peoples or Black slaves, mind you, but for white colonial settlers.
(2020-07-23). New Tech Labor Movement Unites Office And Gig Workers. popularresistance.org The recent wave of employee activism and organizing efforts represents a widening rift between the industry's rank-and-file employees and its executives. For the first time, developers and product managers with higher pay and closer ties to management are siding with their lower-paid colleagues in warehouses, cafeterias, and contract gigs. | A global pandemic and sweeping protests against systemic racism have brought workers across pay scales, job types, geographies, and companies together in an unprecedented show of solidarity. They've protested unsafe and toxic workplaces, racial and gender discrimination, and…
(2020-07-23). Rapper Ice Cube wants Hollywood studios to pay reparations for 'stealing our history and giving it to white people'. rt.com 
As reparations become a more and more popular topic while anti-police and anti-racism protests rage across the US, rapper Ice Cube wants to see Hollywood studios take part and give yearly payments to black-owned companies. | "I think these studios that we know and love should kick in to a studio that's ran by black people with no outside influences, and whose movies and projects are owned by those black people," the musician and actor told radio show 'The Breakfast Club'. | These studios, he claims, have "contributed in our narrative, in our pain, in our misrepresentation." | First making waves as a rapper as…
(2020-07-23). Moment of Supreme Danger: Trumpism-Fascism Rears its Head. counterpunch.org 
This is a supremely dangerous moment. The White House is occupied by a rogue fascist regime whose malignant leader Donald Trump has recently made it clear yet again that he will not honor the results of an election that does not go his way next November. It is well understood within his administration that Trump is a wannabe dictator who is only half-joking when he talks about wanting to be "president for life."
(2020-07-23). The Militarization of Strategic Waterways: US- India War Games Contemplated. Aggressive "Signal to China" globalresearch.ca "Whoever attains maritime supremacy in the Indian Ocean would be a prominent player on the international scene." (US Navy Geostrategist Rear Admiral Alfred Thayus Mahan (1840-1914)) | Among Washington's strategic objectives is the militarization of major sea ways, extending from the …
(2020-07-23). Philly DA Larry Krasner: Trump Is a "Wannabe Fascist." I Will Charge His Agents If They Break Law. democracynow.org 
As President Trump announces a "surge" of federal agents into major U.S. cities to confront protesters, we speak with Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner, who warns he will arrest and charge Trump's police forces if they violate the rights of residents in his city. "The law applies to the president of the United States, even though he doesn't think so. The law applies to law enforcement. The law applies to civilians. It is real simple," says Krasner. He also discusses the importance of releasing incarcerated people during the pandemic, and tackling police corruption, such as in the case of political pris…
(2020-07-23). Headlines for July 23, 2020. democracynow.org Trump to Send "Surge" of Federal Officers into Democrat-Run Cities, COVID-19 Hospitalizations in U.S. Near Same Level as Peak of Pandemic in April, Trump Falsely Claims Children Do Not Transmit COVID-19, McConnell to Unveil New $1 Trillion COVID-19 Relief Package, Global COVID-19 Cases Top 15M as Deaths Reach New High in Brazil, U.N.: Israeli Threat to Annex West Bank Is Hampering Palestianian Response to Pandemic, Federal Judge Rejects Releasing Detained Immigrant Families, Report: U.S. Holding Immigrant Toddlers in Hotels for Weeks Before Deportation, Canada Court Rules United States Is Not Safe for Asylum Seek…
(2020-07-23). Paramilitary-Style Tactics in Portland Mirror Decades of U.S. Violence on the Border & Abroad. democracynow.org 
The harrowing scenes of paramilitary-style units in the streets of American cities like Portland has shocked mainstream America, but award-winning independent journalist Todd Miller, who has reported on border security and immigration for over a decade, says it's a reflection of how the U.S. has operated around the world. We also speak with Cecilia Menjívar, UCLA sociology professor, who says the image of unmarked vans snatching people from the streets "brings back memories to Latin Americans who lived through disappearances of families and friends and co-workers."
(2020-07-23). Joe Biden's Misguided Bid for American Supremacy. progressive.org The former Vice President's view of foreign policy is deeply out of touch with a multipolar world, and America's place in it.
(2020-07-23). Defend Portland! Defend People's Resistance! No Police State! workers.org 
Despite the brutal attempt of the White House to crush the heroic Black Lives Matter movement by sending camouflaged federal agents ‚àí secret police ‚àí to Portland, Chicago and other U.S. cities, the movement and all who support it have been fighting back. The initial response to the threat of . . . |
(2020-07-23). Labor coalition strikes for Black lives. liberationnews.org 
Protests in as many as 100 cities that day rang out with a strong message that Black Lives Matter is a labor issue, an issue that affects the entire labor movement, and affects every individual worker.
(2020-07-23). Confederate statues are monuments to the 'Lost Cause' cult of white supremacy. peoplesworld.org 
My mother recently moved into an assisted living facility, and some of her possessions were moved to my house, including boxes of photos. Among them, I discovered a photo from when I was 5 years old, when my grandparents had taken us to see a statue sculpted by a man they referred to as our …
(2020-07-23). The Real News Network Joins Lawsuit Against Maryland Police Department. therealnews.com 
TRNN, the NAACP Prince George's County Branch, and the National Action Network filed a joint motion asking a judge to unseal a report that contains details of discrimination and racial bias within the Prince George's County Police Department.
(2020-07-23). Anti-Diplomacy: Danny Danon Ends Five Year Legacy of Israeli Hasbara at the UN. mintpressnews.com 
Kathryn Shihadah examines the legacy of Danny Danon, whose hawkish anti-diplomacy recently came to end after a five-year stint as Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations.
(2020-07-23). Iconoclash: Removing racist monuments doesn't erase history. peoplesworld.org 
Littered throughout the annals of history are bits and pieces of chipped stone, melted down iron, bronze, copper, and the fine chalky gray sand that was once sculpting clay. They are the remnants of once stunning visual monuments, no longer relevant in some subsequent era or newly established political dynasty. For as quickly as empires …
(2020-07-23). Protest works: Racist team name bites the dust in Washington, DC. liberationnews.org 
The decision to change the name came swiftly after the start of protests following the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and so many others.
(2020-07-23). Anti-racist protests accelerate across North Carolina. workers.org 
Durham, N.C. July 20 — Throughout North Carolina, from urban to rural areas, the anti-racist uprising continues, most prominently with concurrent anti-jail demonstrations in four counties — Forsyth, Durham, Wake, Mecklenburg — on Friday, July 17. #DefundAvlPD banner dropped in Asheville the week of July 13. Last week the anti-police . . . |
(2020-07-23). Cities challenge Trump's dispatch of federal law enforcement officers. peoplesworld.org 
OAKLAND, Calif. — Outrage is growing throughout the country over Donald Trump's use of federal law enforcement against protesters in Portland, Oregon, and his threats to dispatch federal officers to other U.S. cities. On July 20, Trump told reporters he might send federal "law enforcement" to cities he claimed were experiencing heightened violence, naming cities …
(2020-07-23). As Trump threatens secret police deployment nationwide, Democrats debate expanding surveillance powers and new money for DHS. mronline.org 
The rogue deployment of secret federal police forces in Portland, Oregon, has added a new complication to negotiations over reauthorizing the Trump administration's vast surveillance powers and appropriating new money for the Department of Homeland Security.
(2020-07-23). Oakland mayor slams 'terror tactics' & votes down further police budget cuts after protesters vandalize her home with BLM graffiti. rt.com 
Protesters have vandalized the home of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, splattering it with red paint and graffiti while pelting the house with fireworks. The mayor's office said the attack was meant to "terrorize" and "intimidate." | Along with large splotches of paint thrown across Schaaf's garage door and a nearby retaining wall, the vandals left countless graffiti messages condemning the mayor and apparently voicing support for the Black Lives Matter movement. According to police, fireworks were also set off in the street during the incident — some fired at the mayor's house — which is believed to hav…
(2020-07-23). Inoperable pistol seized from St. Louis couple was fixed to make sure it was 'ready for lethal use' to charge McCloskeys — report. rt.com 
The gun Patricia McCloskey aimed at BLM protesters on a private street was inoperable when seized by police, but a St. Louis prosecutor reportedly had it fixed, deeming it ready for "lethal use," before charging the couple. | Patricia McCloskey and her husband Mark were charged on felony firearms offenses earlier this week after appearing in a controversial video in June pointing weapons at Black Lives Matter protesters who stormed their gated community. After the couple's weapons arrived in police custody, however, it was determined one of the guns — the pistol held by Patricia in the video — was in…
(2020-07-23). Tehran says AMERICAN, not Israeli fighter jets endangered passengers of Iranian airliner over Syria. rt.com 
US Air Force, not Israeli, fighter jets were responsible for unsafely intercepting the Mahan Air plane over Syria, which resulted in injuries to several passengers traveling to Beirut, Iranian media reported. | Mahan Air Flight 1152 was en route from Tehran to Lebanon when it was intercepted by two F-15 fighters near the Syria-Jordan border. The approaching jets forced it to rapidly change course and altitude, resulting in several injuries among the passengers, the company said. | Initial reports from eyewitnesses on board spoke of Israeli planes, and were repeated by international media outlets. The captain…
(2020-07-23). Passengers injured after 'Israeli fighter jet' buzzes Iranian airliner over Syria (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Several passengers aboard an Iranian passenger plane have reportedly been injured after an encounter with an Israeli fighter jet over Damascus. Iranian media say the dangerous maneuver forced the airliner to rapidly drop altitude. | The incident, said to have taken place in the skies above the Syrian capital on Thursday, has been captured on videos published by the Iranian broadcaster IRIB.
(2020-07-23). MSNBC's Joe Scarborough calls Portland protests 'peaceful'… despite footage of escalating violence. rt.com 
Joe Scarborough has called protests in Portland "peaceful for the most part," less than a day after the mayor was tear-gassed in the face amid escalating violence following more than two months of demonstrations. | On his Morning Joe show Thursday, Scarborough railed against the deployment of federal agents to the city of Portland, saying they have launched "deeply disturbing attacks" against "peaceful protests, for the most part." | The MSNBC host has no doubt seen footage of federal agents arresting protesters and proceeding to throw them into unmarked vans — but perhaps he missed the videos of demonstr…
(2020-07-23). Portland mayor cheers protesters & joins them to face tear gas, gets calls to resign anyway (VIDEOS). rt.com 
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler failed to win over a crowd of angry anti-police protesters despite rooting for their cause. But rather than seeing him as an ally against federal agents, some said he's part of the problem and has to go.
(2020-07-23). Influential DC-based Ukrainian think tank hosts neo-Nazi activist convicted for racist violence. strategic-culture.org 
Moss ROBESON | The influential Washington-based U.S.-Ukraine Foundation (USUF) The webinar featured an appearance by Diana Vynohradova (Kamlyuk), a sieg-heiling neo-Nazi decorated with white supremacist tattoos. Vynohradova was convicted of participating i…